Tale as Old as Preschool
by ButtButtDoodle
Summary: Kagome Higurashi is a high school student with a massive crush on her little brother's preschool teacher, Sesshoumaru-sensei. An after-school heart-to-heart might bring her closer to the enigmatic man, or destroy her potential love-life. [SessKag][slight InuSan]
1. Chapter 1

**Universe: **Inuyasha (Modern AU)

**Pairings: **SessKag, insinuated SanInu (if you really squint).

**Genre: **Fluff, Slice of Life, Highschool

**Disclaimer: **Come on guys...we all know the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi-senpai. (le sob).

**Author's notes:** This was originally in my "Teacher (with benefits)" drabble series, but due to popularity I thought it made more sense to have as its own stand-alone piece.

* * *

**Tale As Old As Pre-school**

888

Kagome Higurashi inched ever so slowly to the edge of her seat, heart hammering against her chest. Even though her teacher, Mr. Akiyoshi, was still talking and class was not over, her notebooks had been put away and her backpack was discreetly slung over her shoulder. Blue eyes snapped toward the clock on the far-off wall, seeing that there were only seconds left before the bell rang. Her foot twitched impatiently.

"And remember to read chapter three and four, which will be coming up in next week's test. Have a great day, class dismi- Hey, Higurashi! I'm not done talking yet!" The older man squawked as the petite schoolgirl jumped out of her chair and flew to the door.

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Akiyoshi! Bye guys!" Kagome called behind her, already sprintiing down the hall to her locker.

"Sheesh, what's _her_ hurry?" Ayumi, one of Kagome's classmates, asked as she put away her school books. Rei, another of her classmates, shook her head with a small smile on her face. "You know how Kagome is, always energetic and raring to go. Girl can never sit still in class."

"But haven't you noticed that she always runs off like that on Wednesdays?" Ayumi questioned, her voice dropping conspiratorially. They were making their way out of the classroom, unaware of the two students following close behind, overhearing the conversation.

Rei put her finger to her lips, intrigued as well. "Now that you mention it, you're right. I wonder why. Maybe-"

"Don't go off creating weird rumors about Kagome now!" A rough voice spat.

The girls whirled around to see the classroom rebel, Inuyasha, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and standing only a few feet behind them. With his wild white hair, amber-yellow eyes and bad-boy attitude, Inuyasha was a shoe-in for the title of "School's Resident Hottie". Despite his boyish good looks though, most of the girls were too terrified of him, and no one except a few select students could keep up with his sudden outburst and constant mood-swings. Kagome, bless her understanding heart, was one of them. The other one was the school's popular athlete and tomboy beauty, Sango, who was standing discreetly beside the angry youth.

"We weren't! We were just curious!" Rei reassured him, waving her hands defensively. She flinched as Inuyasha scowled further, prepared for the onslaught of insults sure to come her way.

But before the boy went off, Sango put a halting hand on Inuyasha's shoulder and turned to the two gossiping girls with a smile. Rei and Ayumi let out a sigh of relief, immediately put at ease; Sango had a very serene aura about her, capable of calming down others - especially Inuyasha.

"If you two really must know" Sango spoke firmly but amiably, "Kagome always picks up her brother at pre-school every Wednesday without fail. It's a very special day for her."

"Wow, Kagome must really love her little brother." Ayumi clapped her hands in delight, imagining the pretty raven with a miniature version of herself, since she had never seen Kagome's sibling.

"Keh, don't be an idiot!" Inuyasha barked, spitting to the side and shouldering past the ditzy duo. "She wouldn't be that excited over something so small. That fool is a lot shallower than that." He huffed and stomped down the hallway, muttering under his breath.

"That wasn't very nice." Ayumi said, pouting at the boy's retreating back.

"He's right, though." Sango said, smiling indulgently at Inuyasha's back, to the surprise of both girls. "That isn't the reason why Kagome is so excited for Wednesdays. You see...

…She has a crush on someone."

* * *

"Souta-chan! I'm here!" Kagome sang cheerfully from the doorway.

Shikon Pre-School & Daycare Center was thirty minutes away on foot from her high-school, but Kagome always managed to cut the time in half by flat-out running there. She tripped twice and nearly passed out from the head-rush of running non-stop for so long, but she wasn't the school's star track-and-field athlete for nothing. After obsessively checking herself in the window reflection of the colorful building and brushing any fly-aways with her hands, Kagome breezed into the classroom with a bounce in her step. The classroom was empty, most parents already having arrived to retrieve their young ones. The last one eased by her, nodding politely as she walked hand in hand with her charge, a tiny girl with curly hair in pigtails.

With a hasty scan of the room, Kagome quickly pin-pointed the little bundle of joy that was her baby brother Souta.

At the tender age of five, Souta was the spitting image of his mother and so cute he could easily be mistaken for a girl. Soft-spoken, obedient and sweet-tempered, Kagome adored teasing him just to get him to flash that bright smile of his. At the sound of his big-sister's voice, Souta stood up from the floor where he had been playing with blocks and ran to his sister. Kagome laughed as he slammed into her legs, crushing them in a hug.

"Kagomenee-chan! You came!" he piped, bouncing at her feet.

There was that smile she loved so much.

Kagome regained her balance, smiling back just as wide. "Of course I did, silly! Did you behave?" She asked, poking his nose with her finger playfully, much to his delight.

Souta noded enthusiastically. "Yup!"

For the past year, Kagome had been responsible of picking Souta up every Wednesday, since their mother would work overtime at her job. Kagome didn't mind the long walk, since she adored her younger sibling, and the daycare was on the way to their house as well. Petting the top of Souta's head distractedly, Kagome subtly scanned the room, searching for someone. No, she didn't mind coming to pick up her baby brother, she looked forward to it. But what she really looked forward to the most was…

"Leaving already, Souta-kun?"

Kagome spun around to face the owner of the voice and the reason for her fluttering heart.

Sesshoumaru was one of the teachers at the daycare and in charge of Souta's group. Impossibly tall, with wide shoulders and a fit body that no amount of clothing or aprons could disguise, Sesshoumaru was a beautiful specimen to behold. Merely five years her senior, it was only natural that Kagome would feel attracted towards the young teacher.

Despite their limited interactions, Kagome could swear he too felt the attraction. Although his lingering looks might actually be concern due to the fact that Kagome was always on the brink of keening over from her fifteen-minute sprint. Nonetheless, she would seduce the beautiful teacher, if it was the last thing she did.

Now if only she could untangle her tongue long enough to actually _speak_ to him…

Sesshoumaru wore his long, white hair in a braid that day. His bangs were pulled to the side with a pin, in the customary way he did whenever he was cleaning up the daycare after a long day's work. Despite wearing his habitually bored expression, Kagome saw the way his sharp yellow eyes softened as he addressed the small boy at her feet.

Souta turned that bright smile to his favorite teacher, nodding. "Uh-huh! Kagomenee-chan is here!"

"Hn." He acknowledged with a grunt, seeming uninterested. Some would argue that Sesshoumaru was much too serious to be a preschool teacher, but his somber demeanor often worked in calming down even the most rambunctious of children. And he seemed to have a soft-spot for children, since Kagome never saw him raise his voice or lose his patience with them (although he was quick to get annoyed with impertinent parents - especially the ones who hit on him).

"I can see that." The man said simply, dragging his gaze from Souta to the young woman in front of him. Molten gold met blue sky as their sights crossed. _Ugh, so beautiful! _

Kagome remembered her manners long enough to bow clumsily at the man.

"H-hello, Sensei." She said meekly, spine straight with nerves. Lightning-yellow eyes stared back coolly. No answer. "Um, well…"She grabbed Souta's hand, ready to make her usual flustered getaway, when his voice gave her pause.

"Thank you for your hard work coming here every week. I know it must not be easy for you to rush here after school." He spoke in a very formal speech pattern, one that was both old-fashioned and extremely endearing to her. On anybody other than Sesshoumaru, it would have sounded absurd. But with him, it was as if he was a great lord from a different time period.

_Uwah! He's actually talking to you, Higurashi! Quick, say something!_

"N-no, not at all, Sensei!" She took another deep bow, nearly tumbling Souta over in her haste, though she quickly caught him. "Thank you for taking such good care of my little brother! He always speaks so fondly of you at our home!" she stumbled over the words in her nervousness.

"Of course, it is my duty and pleasure." He replied graciously, and she could've sworn she saw him smile as he knelt down next to the toddler. "Souta-kun speaks of your family a great deal as well. Tell me, child, are you not happy that your sister is here to pick you up?" he asked the boy kindly, holding his tiny hand in his larger one.

Souta seemed delighted at the attention. Kagome was just surprised – this had been the most she had ever heard the man speak. Besides the usual social niceties, he never spoke more than two words at her. She found she rather liked his voice. Low, rough, sensual…

"Yes! And sometimes, if Souta is extra good, Kagomenee-chan will buy ice-cream for both of us!" Souta declared with glee.

"That sounds delicious." His teacher agreed, then- "But Souta-kun…you must remember to invite me next time." Sesshoumaru chided him playfully. "Perhaps your sister will allow me to accompany her." Souta laughed giddily, excited at the prospect, but Kagome's breath caught at the implication of that. _Going out… with Sesshoumaru-sensei?_

Sesshoumaru was looking up at her from his position next to the young child, waiting for her reply. Kagome became flustered once more under those watchful yellow eyes.

"S-sure!" She said brightly. "We can make it a date- Not a real date!" Kagome quickly amended, flushing all the way up to her roots at Sesshoumaru's quirked eyebrow. "Like a play-date! Yes, for all of us! We could even invite some of the other kids from the day-care, make it into a group activity. A field-trip, even. Everybody loves ice-cream! Make it "Shikon Ice-Cream Day with Sesshoumaru-sensei!" or something! And..and…" _God, Buddha, someone - please stop my verbal diarrhea._

Sesshoumaru blinked and very slowly raised one hand to his lips, coughing, and Kagome had the ridiculous and mortifying notion that he was laughing at her. But when he took his hand away, the same blank expression remained.

"I will definitely think about it. The name could use some work, though." He said, and Kagome thought she heard an edge of playfulness in his voice. If it had been anyone else, Kagome would be sure he was teasing her. But this was Sesshoumaru, man with the world's best pocker-face. He wouldn't -

Suddenly Souta gasped, surprising both of the adults.

"Kagomenee-chan! You're bleeding!"

Kagome saw Souta's horrified face and followed his gaze downwards to her legs.

"Oh…"she said dumbly, looking down at her scraped knees. They were a bloody mess. It looked like she had not gotten away completely unscathed from her sprint to the daycare. Now that she wasn't fully concentrated on Sesshoumaru, she could actually feel the small injury throbbing.

"Your legs…" Sesshoumaru spoke in a hush.

"It's nothing!" Kagome waved her hand dismissively. "I tripped on the way here. I'll patch it up as soon as I get home-"

Sesshoumaru rose suddenly, frightening and silencing the young woman's rambling in an instant. He abruptly grabbed her by the arm, gently but forcibly, and pulled her towards one of the chairs near the chalkboard.

"Sit." He ordered with finality, cutting off any pathetic attempt Kagome might muster up to excuse herself. Instantly, Kagome sat, lips clamped shut like a scolded child. He nodded, seeming pleased at her obedience, and walked away. Beside her chair, Souta fussed nervously over his big sister. Sesshoumaru disappeared into one of the adjacent rooms and within seconds returned with a large white box. Kagome realized what he was planning.

"Sesshoumaru-sensei, really, you don't have to do this!" Kagome argued, blushing with embarrassment.

"Hn." He assented, pulling another chair and settling himself in front of the girl. "You are correct in that assessment. But I would not feel well allowing a young woman to leave my care under such conditions." He placed the first aid kit on one of the low tables where the kids sat at, and carefully began looking for something to clean her knees with.

"Besides, your brother told me you are a runner of sorts. Hurdles?" he questioned absently, taking out some cotton swabs and alcohol.

"Track-and-field." Kagome corrected shyly. "But-"

He made a sound with the back of his throat, cutting her off. "All the more reason to take care of your legs. They are indispensable to your athletic prowess." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and looked her straight in the eye. Kagome gulped at his proximity.

"If you are quite finished with your pitiful attempts of dissuading me from helping you, I would like to proceed with this." He sounded annoyed, but underneath Kagome could hear the thinly-veiled concern.

Kagome smiled weakly. "Can't argue with you, huh?"

"Your arguments, while endearing in their futileness, are no match to my superior dialectics."

She laughed, even though she was quite positive that he had given her a very backhanded compliment.

But he thought she was endearing…

"Souta-kun." Sesshoumaru's voice brought her back to the present, and she watched as the boy edged to his teacher's side, brow puckered with worry. "I shall take care of your sister now. In the meantime, you may pick out the book for tomorrow's story-time."

In an instant, all fears of 'booboos' vanished and Souta's eyes widened to the size of large saucers. "None of the other kids have ever picked out the book for story-time." The boy whispered in awe. "Sesshoumaru-sensei always does that."

"True." His teacher conceded. "But today, this Sesshoumaru-sensei is allowing _you_ to do it." Sesshoumaru leaned down, all business. "It shall be our secret, Souta-kun. I trust you can do this."

Souta nodded, a look of pure joy overcoming his features. His chest puffed up in pride at being trusted with such a glorious task. "I promise not to tell anyone! Be right back!" and he ran to the other side of the room where the small library was.

"You know he'll want to pick them out from now on, right?" Kagome said with a wry grin.

Sesshoumaru lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "The task should keep him occupied for a few minutes and no longer worrying needlessly over his older sister."

"Souta is such a worry-wart. So…thanks for that." She smiled at him gratefully. The teacher averted his eyes and simply nodded.

Sesshoumaru held a small wad of cotton and a bottle of alcohol in his hands. He looked up into her blue eyes, almost apologetic. "This might sting." He warned, inching his seat as close as possible till he was placed directly in front of the young woman. While sitting, Kagome's already precariously short green skirt had hitched up higher up her thighs and it would take minimal effort for one of those elegant hands to slip beneath and-

Kagome bit her lip, trying to think cold, cold thoughts. Instead, she focused on the pain.

It wasn't unbearable. Kagome could feel the skin of her knees stinging, the heavy aroma of the alcohol making her nose scrunch up in distaste. Very quickly, Sesshoumaru finished cleaning her knees and put the bloody swabs away. "Does it hurt? Feel any sprains? You were not limping when you came in…" he said, inspecting the clean skin with probing fingers.

Shaking her head, Kagome tried not to think of the long tapered fingers brushing against the sensitive skin on the back of her knee. Those large, masculine hands that spoke of hidden strength, despite the carefulness with which they cradled her leg, were everywhere, sending shocks of electricity all the way to her belly. Her mama had always been the one to take care of her cuts and bruises when she was younger. No one from the opposite sex had ever touched her legs this way. It felt strange and intimate, despite the almost detached medical precision that Sesshoumaru was doing it with. His palms were rough on her soft skin, and Kagome tried to push back the till-then unexplored side of her that wanted to grab his hands and bring them up, up,_ up_…

Kagome shook her head again, clearing the fog in her mind, and looked for a distraction. She should take advantage of his sudden outspokenness, not daydream. Sesshoumaru had taken out the roll of bandages and was pulling out long strips for both legs.

"So, you're pretty good at this. Fix up a lot of scraped knees, do you, Doctor?"

Kagome heard a curious low, rumbling sound coming from the man and with a squeeze of her chest realized he was chuckling. "I do not know about the doctor part. But working at a daycare center, it would be irresponsible not to know even the most basic of first aid." He explained matter-o-factly, attention fully focused to wrapping the bandage.

"That makes sense." Kagome responded distantly, hyper-focused on the long, slender fingers grabbing the back of her right calf and lifting her leg a bit higher to better access the knee. Her skirt inched further.

"Children are clumsy. I am used to caring for them in this manner." Sesshoumaru continued as he grabbed one of the longs strips and began wrapping it around her leg.

Kagome felt the sting of insult poke into her pride, _hard. _Suddenly all sexy thoughts abandoned her. So he lumped her in the same category as all the preschoolers he cared for?

There was a growing hotness behind her eyes and suddenly she felt so stupid. What the hell was she doing? She was just a high-school girl and he was an adult. Why would he ever think of her like a woman? She never stood a chance…

"Just taking care of another awkward kid, huh?" Kagome tried to keep the petulance out of her tone. She saw Sesshoumaru's eyebrows knit and he looked up into her eyes, a very odd expression on his face.

"No…" he said, his voice somber. His hands ceased their movements, and Kagome felt the slightest of pressures on the back of her knee where his fingers rested. His eyes were intense and Kagome could not look away, hypnotized.

"Kagome, I do not think of you as a child. _At all._"

"Oh." Kagome breathed.

In all the weeks of her coming there that had been the first time he had ever called her name. At a loss, she looked down at her lap, praying he would not see the bright blush that was settling across her face like a heated wave. There seemed that neither had anything to say after that confession, and thus both remained quiet. She watched as his hands continued their movement and wrapped the bandage around her knees, tying a clever knot on each.

"There." Sesshoumaru murmured at last, lightly smoothing down the band over her knee with his hands. "It is finished."

"Thanks..." Kagome said, her voice small, her throat dry.

A tense silence followed. Kagome did not dare look up into his eyes, unsure of what she would find there and instead kept her gaze stubbornly on her lap.

His hands were still on her knees.

Kagome let out a shaky breath.

"Sensei-"

"Kagome-"

"Sesshoumaru, you absolute dog, what are you doing?!"

Both of them jumped, rattled, Kagome more so than Sesshoumaru (he was really good at controlling his facial expressions). Kagome's eyes searched for the source of the boisterous voice and landed on a man leaning on the doorway. He wore jeans and a tight navy sweater, with a gold chain around his neck. The man was quite handsome, around Sesshoumaru's age as well, and his hair was pulled back into a low, short ponytail, bangs brushing above intelligent grey eyes.

He was leering at them.

"Playing hanky-panky in a children's daycare. And with a high-schooler, no less!" He tutted, strutting over to the couple. "Such shameful behavior; I would never expect it from you."

"Of course you would not, Miroku, since hitting on women indiscriminately is more your style." Sesshoumaru hissed, removing his hands from Kagome and standing up. "This is the guardian of one of my wards, and I was providing auxiliary help-"

"You don't have to explain to me at all, Sesshomaru." Miroku said in his most theatrical, grave voice. "It is to Buddha to whom you must repent."

Sesshoumaru growled at him. Slamming the first-aid kit shut, he grabbed it and marched into the other room. The man turned to Kagome with a charming smile.

"Miroku, Sesshoumaru's best friend, roommate and ride home, at your service." He extended his hand outwards. Kagome took it, expecting him to shake it. Instead, he flipped her hand and kissed the top of it, causing a bright pink blush to appear. Miroku smiled again. "And who might you be, my fair lady?"

"_She _is not interested. Stop hitting on the family of students, Miroku." Sesshoumaru snapped, coming back into the room. He was no longer wearing his teacher's apron, but instead a grey leather jacket and complimenting red scarf.

"I could offer the same advice to you, my friend." Miroku countered with a lecherous grin.

Sesshoumaru ignored him and walked towards Kagome. He held out his hand, which she took, and he pulled her gingerly to her feet. "Can you walk?"

Kagome nodded, head reeling.

She could still feel the warmth of his hands on her legs.

* * *

After separating the book Souta had chosen and closing the daycare, the group made their way outside and began the trek towards the sidewalk. Miroku was quick to sidle up next to the young woman, an action that caused Sesshoumaru's eyes to narrow dangerously. Miroku ignored him and offered Kagome a winning smile. _Quite the charmer, aren't you,_ Kagome thought amused.

"So let me guess. You're the famous Kagome, am I correct?"

Kagome stumbled, surprised. "Um, yes. Yes I am. But how-?"

"Call it intuition." He said with a wink. "Sesshoumaru mentioned a lovely high-schooler who comes to pick up one of his favorite students every week."

Kagome's chest constricted. "Sensei talks about me?"

"Only the one time." Kagome visibly deflated, and the man was quick to notice. He put an arm over her shoulder and with a conspiring gleam in his eyes, whispered in her ear. "If it is any comfort, Kagome-chan, he never speaks about anyone. Ever." He smiled at her awestruck look.

"What profanities are you telling her now, you perverted monk?" Sesshoumaru growled from very close. Miroku swiftly let go of the girl, hands in the air. defensively "Now, now, Sesshoumaru-kun, I was only asking if she had a friend."

Sesshoumaru threw another snide insult, which Miroku easily deflected, and soon both friends were bantering back and forth.

Kagome shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, already missing the warmth the monk had provided. Summer was ending. The evenings had been getting gradually colder, and although she had made sure Souta had been bundled up with gloves, scarf and a hat, she had forgotten her own at school. Sesshoumaru's sharp eyes noticed.

He grabbed her elbow, halting her. "What-" Kagome began, when suddenly she felt warmth settle around her shoulders and neck. She looked into bright yellow eyes as Sesshoumaru arranged his red scarf around her small frame.

"It would be quite problematic to catch a cold on top of injuring your legs." He explained.

Kagome was still trying to turn her face back to it's original color before red became her permanent hue. "But…don't you need it?"

"Fortunately for you, I am taking a ride with that idiot." He motioned with his head at said idiot, who was currently talking to her baby brother about the proper way of wooing ladies. "I will not have any need for a scarf inside a car."

"Oh…thank you." She replied dazedly. Sesshoumaru nodded, and walked towards his friend. Grabbing him by the collar, he began dragging him towards the car, saying something about corrupting the young with his mere presence.

Souta walked to his sister's side, and holding hands, both siblings watched the two odd grown-ups walk away.

"I'll send you back the scarf with Souta tomorrow!" Kagome called after him.

Without stopping, the young teacher replied, "You may hand it back to this Sesshoumaru next Wednesday..."he paused, a breath, "while we eat ice-cream." Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder, and Kagome could swear he was smirking.

Both men got into the car, Miroku waving an enthusiastic goodbye, and were soon speeding away.

Souta looked up at his sister, who was uncharacteristically quiet. The little five-year-old scrunched up his nose.

"Kagomenee-chan, are you sick? Your face is all red."

Kagome shook her head slowly, still amazed by the marathon of events since entering and leaving the daycare center. Her hand went to the red scarf, fingers fisting around the warm wool.

It smelled like him.

"I'm fine, Souta-kun." _More than fine_.

She looked down at her baby brother's concerned face, and smiled reassuringly. A thought then occurred to her, and feeling giddy and high, she said the one thing that could wipe away all sadness.

"So how about some ice-cream?"

* * *

**Author's notes:** If this isyour first time reading it, I hope you enjoyed! Please R&R and support me by reading my other stories!:)


	2. Chapter 2

**Series:** Inuyasha

**Universe: **Modern AU

**Pairing: **SessKag, insinuated SanInu

**Genre: **Fluff, Slice of Life

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha and its characters are the intellectual property of one Rumiko Takahashi. I only make bad fanfiction about it.

**Author's notes:**

So I've had this continuation on the back-burner for a long time. Actually wrote the bulk of it the same time I posted _"Tale as Old as Pre-school"_ (Chapter 4) way back then. But thinking it wouldn't be popular or well-received, I shelved the story and left it as unfinished. Lo and behold, _TaoaP_ is actually one of my more popular fics in this entire collection!O: Didn't think I would get such positive reception, and to this day still get constant reviews for it. So as my gift to you guys for being absent for so long, here's a cute (albeit short) continuation to this little story.

* * *

**Tale as Old as Pre-school II**

888

"What flavor do you want, Souta-kun?" Sesshomaru asked his little student sweetly, as the pre-schooler pressed his nose against the glass and surveyed the array of ice-cream buckets with a critical eye. Finally, seeming to reach a difficult decision, Souta poked the glass, pointing to a neon-pink ice cream with white swirls.

"That one, Sensei!" Souta squealed gleefully.

"_'Pink bubblegum'_, hm?" Sesshoumaru hummed, amused at the boy's enthusiasm. "That sounds like a great choice, Souta-kun." Sesshoumaru complimented pleasantly, placing the young boy's order to the cashier at the register.

Sitting on a booth a few feet behind them with a watchful but warm gaze, Kagome observed the interaction quietly. She noticed how Souta, her little brother, wrapped his small fingers trustingly around his teacher's much longer ones. Absently, Sesshoumaru returned the affectionate action by cradling the young boys hand in his own, rocking their hands back and forth gently as he placed his and Kagome's order. The vision of the man and child holding hands together as they waited in line for ice-cream was enough to melt the young maiden's heart.

Sesshoumaru had kept his end of the bargain. What had been a silly (and admittedly desperate) suggestion by high-schooler Kagome Higurashi to her little brother's stupidly-hot pre-school teacher Sesshoumaru had actually come true: they were out on an ice-cream date. Scarcely a week after their encounter at the daycare center, Sesshoumaru took Kagome and Souta to an ice-cream shop near the daycare as promised; a place called _Myoga's Parlour_, a cute little shop that both siblings often frequented. Granted, this meant Kagome was forced to share Sesshoumaru's attention with Souta, but it was as good a date as any for the young girl in love.

Yes. It was like a fairy-tale dream come true.

"Oh my god, I could have SEX with this ice-cream, _fuck_!"

Well. _Almost_ a dream come true.

Kagome shot a glare at the man sitting next to her in the booth. She could tolerate her baby brother being a mild hindrance to her flirtations with Sesshoumaru, but she really couldn't stand the walking and breathing _cock-block_ that Miroku represented in their little group.

The mischievous man who had introduced himself as Miroku last time happened to not only be Sesshoumaru's roommate but also his best friend. Vulgarity personified, Miroku was a raging ball of hormones in the guise of a gentleman. While Sesshoumaru would grace her with a rare smile and hold her hand, Miroku would smirk devilishly and offer her the honor of bearing his children. Classy. How two such opposites could somehow maintain a friendship was beyond Kagome's scope of understanding. Then again, she had met stranger pairs, she mused, thinking of her own friends in school. Sango and Inuyasha could not be any more different; where Sango was all poise and serenity, Inuyasha was all punches and curse words. Still, one only had to look at them making eyes at each other from across the classroom and it was easy to see that those differences didn't matter when there was chemistry involved.

And chemistry was definitely something Kagome had been hoping to ignite between herself and Sesshoumaru except...

Miroku had taken it upon himself to join them on their little date, arguing that it would be indecent if Sesshoumaru were to be caught going out with the family member of one of his students - especially one as young as Kagome. The girl could hardly argue with that logic, and she didn't want to put Sesshomaru in an uncomfortable spot if a parent were to recognize them while on their non-official date. But really! Could Miroku at least pretend to be giving them even a slight bit of privacy!? He was a young man too; certainly he could read the _mood_!

"Here, Higurashi-san."

Kagome stopped throwing mental steak-knives at Miroku and looked up at the voice near her shoulder. Sesshoumaru was by her side, gently leaning down as he offered her a cone. He had insisted on paying for hers and Souta's, and while she had allowed the child to indulge with multiple flavors and toppings - really, Souta had more than earned it and who was she but a lowly elder sister to not spoil her baby brother - Kagome had gone the conservative route of plain chocolate-chip, one scoop, small cone. Sesshoumaru had raised his eyebrow at the order, probably guessing at Kagome's money-saving motives, but had delicately decided not to acknowledge it. He really was incredibly mature for someone who was only five years older than her. Unlike Miroku, who was still beside himself on the seat next to her making the most inappropriate sounds over a dessert.

"Look!" Souta suddenly piped up, his upturned mouth a cute, pink mess from eating his cup (Kagome resolutely refused to allow a cone to be involved to avoid as much mess as possible). All the adults followed the young child's pointing arm to the object of his interest.

Across the street in the little plaza, an event of sorts seemed to be going on. There was someone dressed up in a mascot suit - an orange fox with a blue bowtie -handing out balloons and selling light-up toys to a growing crowd of children. Kagome almost groaned good-naturedly; she recognized that glint in her little brother's eyes.

"No, Souta." she affirmed sternly, before the boy could even say anything. Souta snapped his head back to her, flushing as he knew her sister had read his mind. He looked down, a small pout pushing through his generally sweet face. "But...it's Shippo-chan and the Kitsunes." Souta whined, recognizing the mascot from one of his favorite cartoon shows.

Kagome sighed patiently, acknowledging that her little brother rarely asked for things, but still needing to put her foot down. "Souta, Sesshoumaru-sensei already got you ice-cream. We can't spend more money on-"

"A trinket and a balloon hardly breaks the bank, Higurashi-san." Sesshoumaru offered, digging into his pants for his wallet.

Kagome flushed, while Souta's smile returned with a vengeance as he realized what was about to happen. Shooting her tiny sibling a reproachful look, Kagome turned to the teacher.

"Oh no, Sesshoumaru-sensei, you really don't have to-"

"Please, I insist." Sesshoumaru stated with finality. "Here, Miroku. Treat him to whatever he wants." Kagome was taken aback by his sudden intensity on the subject and was about to protest again - this was family matters after all, and Souta was _her_ little brother - when, belatedly, she realized-

Miroku taking Souta across the street would give Sesshoumaru and her precious minutes where they'd be completely _alone_. Kagome was quick to put two and two together, but could that really be Sesshoumaru's plan as well? Kagome looked at the older man from the corner of her eye as he put some coins in Miroku's hand, instructing his friend NOT to do anything outlandish, flirt with the moms or lose Souta from his sight. But nothing else in his movements or words gave away any ulterior motives. Perhaps the raven was looking too deep into it?

One way to find out. Phase one of the date, introduction, had ended. Engage phase two: seduction.

As Miroku walked away with a squealing Souta, bouncing the child on his broad shoulder - much to Souta's delight - Kagome began her careful plan and, slowly and deliberately, loosened the red scarf around her neck.

The young high-school girl was ashamed to admit how many times she had rehearsed this in her mind, let alone in front of the mirror. Kagome still had Sesshoumaru's scarf from the last time they met; had worn it obsessively and committed his scent to memory until it had disappeared almost entirely from the piece of fabric. She had hoped to return it during their ice-cream date, and as such had deliberately worn it today. If she was successful, she hoped to return it in a manner that the older man would hopefully find memorable.

_"Men love necks." Sango reassured her, as they poured over the magazine section of the bookstore, reading up on dating tips and relationship advice._

_Kagome scrunched up her nose, scowling. "Really? Why?"_

_Sango sighed, exasperated at her best friend's lack of experience. "Because. Though, to be fair, I'd be hard pressed to find a part of a woman's body a man _isn't_ interested in looking at."_

_"Ugh, you sound just like Miroku." Kagome grumbled, sticking out her tongue._

_"Who?"_

_Kagome shook her head. "Never mind. So...necks?" the pretty raven ventured, trying to wrap her head around it. She guessed that some necks were fairly attractive, in an elegant sort of way; like those of ballerinas, for example. But she didn't really think they were_ that_ appealing._

_"Yes, Kagome. Necks. They're sexy, without being indecent, and a guy can get away with ogling at one without being punched in the face. Or so Inuyasha tells me." Sango commented as she flipped a page, almost too nonchalantly._

_"Uh-huh." Kagome cliked her tongue, and Sango didn't miss the amusement in the raven's voice at the casual mention of their wild, male friend. Sango looked at Kagome shrewdly, but ignored the bait, continuing her explanation. "This is a good chance for you, Higurashi. You're still not old enough to do a lot of things with this guy, _legally_ at least, but a little neck-play never hurt anybody. So next time you two are alone together, give him a little peek at it." Sango lowered her voice, leaning closer to the raven who hung to her every word with rapt interest. "Take off the scarf, _**his**_ scarf, slow and sensually. Make sure the buttons of whatever top you're wearing are open, so when he suddenly catches sight of that milky skin of yours, he won't be able to forget that his scarf was touching that beautiful long neck. That image will stay ingrained in his brain, I guarantee it."_

_Kagome bit her lip, moved by the suggestion but still not fully convinced. "I don't know, Sango. I don't think Sesshoumaru is like that." Kagome mumbled hesitantly, blushing at the very idea of the stoic man fantasizing about her neck, of all things. He was so solemn and emotionless, she really couldn't imagine him getting turned on by something as obscure as a human throat. Then again, he had touched her legs a little bit too long last time, so maybe he still had _some_ male urges..._

_Sango scoffed. "Believe me, if he's a guy, he's thought of worse things relating to you. At least you'll have control over this one. Just trust me on this, Kagome. He'll be putty in your hands."_

Emboldened by that conversation with her friend, Kagome put her plan into action.

The sudden movement from the raven caught his attention, and Sesshoumaru turned curiously to look at what the young girl was doing.

"It's a little warm, isn't it, Sensei?" Kagome smiled, dropping her voice to a sultry timber like Sango had taught her and using one delicate finger to pull at the scarf languidly. Yellow, penetrating eyes watched - transfixed - as that sly finger pulled persistently, dragging the red fabric with it, slowly exposing Kagome's neck to the world. Kagome was gratified by his captive gaze, and had almost pulled the scarf off entirely, the skin in her chest blooming before the world-

"What are you doing?"

Kagome faltered and realized that, more than seduced, a look of pure perplexity had appeared upon Sesshoumaru's quizzical brow. Kagome struggled to get back to the script, not being a good improviser after having so carefully crafted the scene. It was at this point of her imagination that Sesshoumaru would be fascinated by her womanly wiles, not confused by them. _Curse Sango and her stupid advice,_ Kagome swore inwardly.

Outwardly, Kagome batted her eyes innocently, going for ingenue as opposed to seductress. "Just trying to cool off." she remarked offhandedly, the picture of maidenly virtue.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "It is 45 degrees in the middle of fall. You'll catch a cold with your chest exposed like that."

Why was he so slow on the uptake!? Maybe older men weren't as hypersensitive to necks as younger guys? Admirably, Kagome stuck to her guns, knowing full well she was probably fighting a losing battle. She laughed, more to release the tension than out of humor, and Sesshoumaru's eyes shot to the tendon that jumped in her throat. "I won't get sick. Don't worry, Sensei."

Without warning, Sesshoumaru wrapped the scarf more securely around Kagome, arranging it to his satisfaction. Kagome flushed at the attention, heart fluttering, until he spoke.

"You're still very _young,_ so it will be better not to take any chances with illnesses."

And with that, he turned back to his ice-cream cone. The words stung her womanly pride, a slap in the face hard enough to push down any young girl in the throes of love. But gathering herself up quickly and refusing to give up without trying one more time, Kagome pouted up at the man, both reprimanding and coquettish. "You're mean, Sensei. Till when do you intend to treat me like a child?"

Sesshoumaru paused at her words, his mouth open and hovering as he had been readying to take a bite from his ice-cream. For a moment, Kagome feared she had taken the teasing too far; his eyes turned to her, and roamed over her face as if considering whether she was speaking in jest. The fear of rejection, of being put back in her place as what she was - a mere teenage girl with a massive crush on a grown man - suddenly clawed its way up her spine and sent her into mental hysterics. Kagome laughed, quick and nervous, as she fumbled to steer the conversation away from her question.

"Ah, I was only joking, Sensei. No need to make that face…" her voice withered away and, with pink cheeks, Kagome looked down at her one-scoop cone, no longer hungry.

"Higurashi-san." She heard him whisper, almost uncertainly, and the honorific was enough to cool the pit of her stomach with dread.

"Forgive me if this makes you uncomfortable…" he started delicately, and Kagome shut her eyes tight, not wanting to hear the rest of his rejection.

"…but I thought I had been perfectly clear with you last time." The man continued, and suddenly his voice was much closer, hovering just a few inches from her face, and Kagome held her breath. "But I'll repeat myself once more. You see..."

His breath tickled the shell of her ear and she heard herself squeak.

"I have no such intentions of treating you like a child…Kagome."

Slowly, she opened her eyes and turned to look at him. His face was unbearably close, eyes bright with intent, and through the haze of emotions she could discern the slightest dusting of color on his own face. Although he was too close to be sure…

"Really…?" she whispered timidly, exhaling a gust of breath that was quickly shared with the older man.

Kagome's lower lip trembled, and she gasped softly when she felt it brush against his own lower lip, the faintest ghost of a touch.

"Really." he reassured her, his mouth ghosting the words over her own mouth. She didn't know when his hand, the one that was not holding the ice-cream, had reached behind her back and around her waist, but unexpectedly she felt the strongest of pressures pushing her side into him, fitting her shoulder to his chest until there wasn't enough room to _exist_, let alone breathe. Distantly, Kagome marveled at how firm his chest felt against her; solid, secure, like a marble sculpture.

"Whenever I am with you, Kagome, I can only think of very _adult_ things to do…" Sesshomaru whispered, breathlessly. "Though I try not to show it, lest I frighten you. Sometimes… it even frightens me." he confessed in a low rumble, his voice slightly quavering at the end, and Kagome swallowed that tremor and felt it tremble all the way down her chest and into her lower abdomen, where it crashed with dizzying heat. He tilted his head a centimeter, his lips barely grazing her burning mouth.

Still, he did not kiss her.

And in the remote parts of her brain that weren't laser-focused on the length of his white lashes or how soft and inviting his lips looked, Kagome realized he was giving her a choice: to back away or to take the plunge.

Kagome took a shuddering breath, her lips parting instinctively, reaching out to him with every fiber of her being. She was distantly aware of the ice-cream melting in their hands, the liquid dripping down limp fingers; but the sensation only evoked thoughts of _other_ liquids, dripping down _other_ body parts, and how quickly she could make that happen with the older man. By the glint in Sesshoumaru's eyes and the blush on his cheeks, he seemed to be on a similar train of thought as hers.

Kagome closed the distance, their lips meeting-

"What is Sesshoumaru-sensei doing to Kagomenee-chan!?"

Kagome comically jumped a foot in the air before pulling away from Sesshoumaru, disoriented and confused until her eyes fell on a scandalized Souta. The young boy, holding a red balloon in one hand and a new toy-sword in the other, was looking between his older sister and his most favorite teacher, trying to wrap his little four-year-old head around the scene. Behind him, Miroku was smiling so broadly as to be indecent. When he gave Sesshoumaru a not-so-subtle thumbs-up, Kagome thought she would explode from embarrassment.

"Souta! You see-" Kagome fumbled, trying to comfort her baby brother as she saw the beginning of tears well up behind his eyes. But the words tumbled out of her mouth in a garbled mess as Souta's quivering pout became more and more prominent.

"Souta-kun allow me to explain!" Miroku recovered marvelously when both of the other adults failed to step forward. "Sesshomaru-sensei was merely tasting Kagome-chan's ice-cream!"

"Eh?" Souta asked.

"EH?!" Sesshoumaru and Kagome said in unison, the latter definitely more bewildered (god, Sesshoumaru definitely had to teach her how to have such good poker-face).

"Yes, indeed!" Miroku continued with unnerving joy. "You see, Kagome-chan was being terribly selfish and didn't want to share from her cone. So Sesshomaru-sensei snuck a taste from you sister's mouth! No big deal, right?"

"Miroku, don't go telling the child weird things!" Sesshoumaru growled, jumping from the booth and pulling a confused Souta away from Miroku, as if the boy could catch the dirty man's idiocy through sheer proximity alone.

"Would you rather I tell him you were trying to get into his sister's pants?"

"Miroku!" Kagome exclaimed, mortified.

Souta belted out a loud giggle, making the adults turn to him in alarm (or in Miroku's case, diabolical amusement). "That's silly!" Souta giggled childishly. "Sesshomaru-sensei wouldn't fit into Kagome-neechan's pants! He's too big!"

"You have _no idea_, Souta-kun-"

"MIROKU!"

"Babe, just because you keep shouting my name doesn't mean you're actually saying anything."

"Enough! We are leaving _now." _Sesshoumaru thundered, marching towards the door outside while dragging his friend by the scruff of his jacket. As both siblings followed behind, Kagome noticed the tips of Sesshoumaru's ears were a bright red.

_"Oh come on, _Sesshoumaru, I was joking- Ow, ow, OK! No need to _pinch_! Sheesh, you sexually-frustrated dog, I had your back!"

Kagome attempted to bury her entire face with the scarf and disappear from the planet.

* * *

Minutes later found Kagome standing beside Sesshoumaru's car in front of her home. The stoic teacher had politely offered to drive the Higurashi siblings home, due to the lateness of the day - Miroku had been abandoned in the parking lot, left to walk to their shared studio apartment to think over what he had said and done. Souta rushed inside the aged home, eager to show their mother his brand-new light-up sword and balloon. Kagome loitered beside the running car, awkwardly trying to come up with a proper way to send the man off.

The date had been a total disaster. Sesshoumaru had spent half of it babysitting her younger brother, and the other half babysitting his rowdy roommate. All of her hopes completely and utterly destroyed, Kagome wouldn't blame the white-haired man to want to cut all ties with her. With crushing dismay, Kagome realized that perhaps student-teacher relationship was all that they could realistically have, after all.

"You've been sighing the entire way here. Did you not enjoy yourself today?"

Kagome looked down at Sesshoumaru, his arm slung casually across the car door as he leaned out the window. He was looking at her with those indecipherable yellow eyes of his, the ones that saw everything yet revealed nothing. She had hoped that one day, when time had taught her how to read him like the palm of her hand, she would come to understand him intimately as a friend and lover. But it seemed that fantasy was never meant to be. Kagome resisted the urge to purse her lips, frustrated beyond belief at the thought of never going out with Sesshoumaru again.

"I always enjoy myself when I'm with you." Kagome confessed shyly, naturally forthcoming as she always was. Where Sesshoumaru was a closed library, Kagome was an open book. Perhaps _too_ open... "I'm just...anxious."

"About?" Sesshoumaru pressed gently.

Kagome couldn't bear to look at him. She felt so young and foolish and childish. "About us." She said at last. And then -

"I like you, Sesshoumaru. A lot." Her blush rivaled the red of the scarf around her neck, and instantly she wanted to run away from this confession. But if she wanted any peace of mind, she needed to come clean. Not only with Sesshoumaru, but with herself. "But I know that perhaps today wasn't an ideal date for you. And I can't promise that any other outings would be more convenient because, honestly, as Souta's guardian I'm always going to take care of him first. He's a big part of my life, and that means we're a package deal." She smiled sadly at Sesshoumaru, before looking down and away from those fathomless yellow eyes. "It's probably more than you bargained for, a high-school girl and a little kid. So...I get it. I totally get it. But thank you, anyways, for your kindness."

Kagome stared at her feet hard, willing away the burning behind her eyes, trying her best not to let those treacherous tears fall.

That was it. Game over.

_Goodbye, Sesshoumaru._

Abruptly, the tense silence was broken by a loud snort, and it took her a second to realize that Sesshoumaru was laughing at her.

Kagome's head whipped up, shock drying up her tears instantaneously, to find the man laughing behind his hand.

"_Kindness_? You think this was charity?" Sesshoumaru laughed, and Kagome's heart squeezed at what she thought was him mocking her.

"You..." he said between soft chortles,"...are absolutely ridiculous."

Kagome didn't have time to be offended when in one quick movement, Sesshoumaru was out of the car and in front of her. She staggered back, trying to regain her bearings.

"What-?"

Sesshoumaru crushed his lips against hers, strong and firm, silencing any possible protests Kagome might've had. Not that she would have any, really, as she melted into his embrace. All too soon for the raven though, Sesshoumaru pulled back, his breath a little quicker and shallower.

"I like you, Kagome. A lot." he murmured, and with a blush Kagome realized he was reciting the exact same words she had just said mere moments before. "I like how sincere you are in everything you do, and how much you care about Souta. If that means I get two of you for the price of one, so be it. I'll happily upgrade to the combo package. But do not presume to know my thoughts and push me away without allowing me the _privilege_ of confessing how I feel about you." Sesshoumaru laughed softly at her surprised expression, and Kagome was once again mesmerized by the rare smile gracing his beautiful face. "It truly wounds my honor as a man that you think so little of me, or would rob me from the chance of stealing your heart."

Steadily, Sesshoumaru leaned forward, capturing her lips in his once more and this time the kiss was slower, sweeter and made Kagome's toes curl in an entirely different way than the first one. His tongue rubbed against her bottom lip languidly, hungrily, and Kagome shuddered.

After a long while of making out where Kagome had stopped trying to determine what started a kiss and what ended one, Sesshoumaru finally pulled away.

"You should go inside."he murmured, the edges of his voice raw, unraveling, and Kagome reveled at being the one responsibly for putting the usually-composed man in such a state. Not that she was better off. Running her tongue over her swollen lips, Kagome nodded dumbly, not trusting her voice. She was about to turn to go inside, when she suddenly remembered she was still wearing his scarf.

"Oh, here, you probably want this back." she mumbled dazedly, distracted hands tugging at the piece of cloth. With a groan, Sesshoumaru captured her wrists in his grasp, ceasing her movements almost instantly. Kagome looked up at him, puzzled, but Sesshoumaru only shook his head. "Do not test my self-control, Kagome." he whispered, pressing his forehead against her own. His eyes closed shut, as if he were in pain.

Kagome tried to quash the exhilaration she felt whenever her name passed through his lips. "What do you mean?" she asked instead, genuinely curious.

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes, and Kagome's breath hitched. The pupils were blown-out, dilated, so that only a small, bright ring of yellow peeked through the velvety darkness; like a lunar eclipse in a cloudless night.

"I don't think I can control myself if you show me that lovely throat of yours again." he spoke darkly, his eyes looking down wantonly at where the scarf was settled over her neck.

"Oh." Was all Kagome could say. Mentally, she made a reminder to buy Sango a very expensive gift.

Maybe a scarf to help her with her own white-haired crush.

* * *

**A/N:** And that's that. For now. Stay tuned for a finale chapter that hopefully wraps up this universe in a nice little bow!:)


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